How to Sell Your Orville Wright Autograph
To auction, sell or consign your Orville Wright autograph, please email your description and photos to [email protected] of Nate D. Sanders Auctions (NateDSanders.com).
Who Was Orville Wright?
Orville Wright was the youngest of the Wright Brothers, the first humans to successfully craft a functioning airplane and the three-axis control system that all planes still utilize today. Their interest in aviation is said to have been sparked by a rubber band-powered toy helicopter in their youth. Wilbur was considered the intellectual leader of the duo. Wilbur and Orville’s first flight at Kitty Hawk on December 17, 1903 set the stage for modern aviation and world travel.
Here Are Some Orville Wright Autographs We’ve Sold:
Signed Wright Bros. Patent Document — Sold for $15,000
We realized $15,000 for an Orville Wright signed U.S. Patent Office document dated 25 October 1916. Document releases five patents, including the monumental #821,393 that made controlled and sustained flight possible and allowed the Wright Brothers to dominate the aviation world for ten years. Single page document measures 8.5 x 14 inches and is also signed by brother Lorin Wright. One of the few vital Wright Brothers documents in private hands.
Wilbur & Orville Wright Signed Photo — Sold for $15,000
After the Wright Brothers demonstrated a series of flights in Europe in 1908 they became celebrities along with their sister Katharine. Wilbur and Orville visited the White House and met President Taft while presented with medals from the Aero Club of America on 10 June 1909. A few weeks following this White House visit President Taft watched the Wright Brothers’ Army trial flights at Fort Myer. We realized $15,000 for a signed photo taken during the White House visit that includes signatures from Wilbur Wright, Orville Wright, President Taft and a handful of others.
Letter Signed From 1928 — Sold for $12,963
We realized $12,963 for an Orville Wright signed letter to Senator Hiram Bingham III defending his reputation as an inventor. The origins of the letter stem back to the Smithsonian spreading a narrative that didn’t fully acknowledge the Wright Brothers as creators of the first sustained plane when they displayed Samuel Langley’s failed Aerodrome labeling it “the first man-carrying aeroplane…capable of sustained free flight”.
Two page letter concludes with, ”A good many people do not seem to grasp the difference between the first man-carrying flying machine and the first man-carrying machine to fly. There may be a big difference. Our pride was in producing the first man-carrying flying machine rather than in producing the first man flight. Wilbur and I did not take nearly so much pride in the fact that we were the first to fly as we did in the fact that we were the first to have the scientific data from which a flying machine could be built…I believe there was no one else in the world at that time beside Wilbur and myself that had the scientific data for building a machine that would fly.”
Fabric Wright Flyer Fabric Swatch — Sold for $12,500
We sold a swatch of fabric from the original Wright Flyer flown at Kitty Hawk on 17 December 1903 for $12,500. Fabric measures 1.5 x 1.5 inches and is accompanied by a certificate signed by Lester D. Gardner, Editor of Aviation and Aeronautical Engineering and friend of Orville Wright.
Signed “First Flight” Photo — Sold for $11,025
We sold an Orville Wright signed photograph of the Wright Brothers’ first flight on 17 December 1903 for $11,025. Silver gelatin photo taken by John T. Daniels depicts Orville flying the plane with Wilbur alongside. Photo is signed “Orville Wright” on lower left and has been matted to a size of 11 x 9 inches.
Orville Wright Signed Letter From 1928 — Sold for $7,500
Senator Hiram Bingham III, who was also a pilot, proposed the idea to create a Wright Brothers memorial at Kitty Hawk. Orville Wright opposed the idea and in a typed letter signed dated 28 February 1928 indicates he’d prefer the memorial be at the Smithsonian it would have a better chance of reaching scholars and historians rather than tourists. The content of this letter touches on the controversy with the Smithsonian displaying the “Langley Aerodrome” and crediting Samuel Langley as the inventor of human flight rather than the Wright Brothers. This fascinating two page letter sold for $7,500.
Signed The Wright Brothers 1st Edition — Sold for $7,500
We sold a signed first edition copy of The Wright Brothers by biographer Fred C. Kelly for $7,500. Half-title page is neatly signed ”Orville Wright” in black ink without inscription. Jacket has some chipping and minor shelf wear to book.
Signed Postcard of Famous Flight — Sold for $3,781
We realized $3,781 for an Orville Wright signed postcard of the Wright Brothers’ iconic first flight in Kitty Hawk on 17 December 1903. Original envelope from Orville is also included and is postmarked on 14 March 1930 from Dayton, Ohio.
Thank you for checking out some of our Orville Wright signed items! Please feel free to contact us with any questions or for a free appraisal. View some of our Wilbur Wright autograph sales.